Want Out of the Stock Market? Consider Precious Metals in a Self-Directed IRA

Buckle up, investors—the stock market is taking millions of people for a very uncomfortable ride during the Covid-19 pandemic. Individuals who maintain retirement portfolios with traditional assets like stocks, bonds, and mutual funds have seen precipitous declines in their retirement accounts this month as the markets, businesses, and the world deal with the virus.

Advisors will say that diversification is always the key to a healthy portfolio—something self-directed investors know and practice. One way to hedge against the volatility of the stock market and reduce risk is to include alternative assets within a self-directed IRA. Along with real estate, precious metals are among some of the most popular nontraditional investment options that can be held in a self-directed IRA. In fact, there has been a recent spike in demand from investors who wish to diversify their retirement accounts with metals like gold, silver, platinum, and palladium. You can read the particulars of including precious metals in a self-directed IRA in this blog post.

Why include precious metals in a self-directed IRA?
Long before there was paper currency, there were gold and silver, traded around the world. Key benefits to including precious metals in a self-directed IRA is that these assets have no credit risk, serve as a hedge against market volatility, and also do so vis-à-vis political instability, currency weakness, and economic collapse. As Goldman Sachs was quoted this week, “gold is the currency of last resort.” Given the news swirling around us right now, it’s no wonder precious metals are in higher demand as a long-term investment.

In a move to stabilize the U.S. economy and ward off a credit crunch, the U.S. Federal Reserve has committed to purchasing an unlimited number of Treasuries and securities tied to residential and commercial mortgages. This process, called “quantitative easing,” is meant to enhance liquidity of financial markets. Pushing more money into the market affects gold prices inversely; as more money is available, interest rates go down and the value of gold goes up. This article on MarketWatch explains further and predicts gold will increase sharply in value in the coming weeks.

If you’re already knowledgeable about investing in precious metals or want to include this alternative asset in your retirement plan, check out our helpful Precious Metals Guide to learn more. If you have questions about self-direction and the other kinds of nontraditional investments these plans allow, register for a complimentary educational session with one of our knowledgeable representatives. Alternatively, you can call us directly at 888.857.8058 or send an email to  NewAccounts@NextGenerationTrust.com.

Next Generation Sales & Marketing Director Shares Insights into Self-Directed Investing on #1 Leading Ladies Podcast

Brittany Melville Discussed Using Funds from Existing Workplace Retirement Plans or IRAs to Fund a New Self-Directed IRA, Take Advantage of Opportunities to Invest in Alternative Assets

Brittany Melville, SDIP – Director of Marketing and Sales at Next Generation

ROSELAND, NJ, April 04, 2020 /24-7PressRelease/ — Brittany Melville, director of marketing and sales for Next Generation, a custodian and administrator for self-directed retirement plans, was recently interviewed on the #1 Leading Ladies podcast. The topic was “How to Invest Today with Your IRA and 401(k).” The show, which airs on Spotify and iTunes, is hosted by real estate investor Kaylee McMahon, who specializes in multifamily syndications. The full interview is available here.

McMahon said she often hears that lack of cash prevents people from investing in real estate and other assets. Melville explained that individuals with workplace retirement plans, such as a 401(k), 403(b), or certain qualified plans as well as IRAs can use funds from those plans to establish a new self-directed retirement plan, rather than rely on disposable income, to start investing in alternative assets.

“Cash might be tight, but individuals can open a new self-directed IRA and roll over their old workplace retirement plans or transfer funds from their existing plans to get started,” explained Melville, who walked through the steps to open and fund a new self-directed account using an existing 401(k) or IRA. “The self-directed IRA can also partner with another account on a nontraditional investment.

“After executing the rollover or fund transfer into a new self-directed IRA, individuals can invest in real estate, private equity, promissory notes, joint ventures, syndications and more. These enable investors to diversify their retirement portfolios outside of publicly traded assets, allow them to include investments they feel strongly about and provide an excellent hedge against stock market volatility, which is out of their control.” Self-directed retirement accounts may include a broad array of investments beyond stocks, bonds and mutual funds.

Melville said that a key to be a successful self-directed investor is to educate oneself about the steps necessary to set up an account, the transaction process and the IRS regulations regarding self-directed investments. The company offers a whitepaper library, on-demand webinars and other educational materials on its website. Individuals may also sign up for the company newsletter, ask questions via live chat, or register for a complimentary educational session.

Next Generation will be hosting a complimentary webinar with McMahon on April 28th at 1:00pm ET, focused on including multifamily real estate investments in a self-directed IRA. For information or to register, click here.

About Next Generation
Founded on the philosophy that every person should have control over their own retirement plans, Next Generation Trust Company educates consumers and professionals about self-directed retirement plans and nontraditional investments, a strategy at one time reserved only for the very wealthy.

Self-directed retirement plans allow for a broad array of alternative assets to be included in them, with the same tax advantages as typical retirement plans offered by banks and brokerage houses. Among those assets are real estate, private equity, unsecured and secured loans, precious metals and more. As self-directed investors, account owners make all their own investment decisions and conduct their due diligence on the nontraditional investments they wish to include, in order to build a more diverse retirement portfolio.

Next Generation Trust Company, a custodian of self-directed retirement plans, is a trust company chartered in South Dakota. Its sister firm, Next Generation Services provides comprehensive account administration and transaction support with Next Generation Trust Company acting as custodian for all accounts. The neutral third-party professionals at Next Generation expertly guide clients and their trusted advisors as part of their white glove, personalized service for a seamless transaction experience from start to finish. For more information on self-directing a retirement plan, visit www.NextGenerationTrust.com. Alternatively, you can reach Next Generation directly via phone at 888.857.8058 or via e-mail at NewAccounts@NextGenerationTrust.com.

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Women’s History Month: A Look at Women and Their Financial & Investing History

Ever since the women’s liberation movement of the 1960s and 1970s a lot has changed for women in America, thanks to spitfire pioneers who generated shifts in societal attitudes and pushed for legislative changes.

The National Organization of Women advocated for six measures to ensure women’s equality: enforcement of laws banning employment discrimination, maternity leave rights, childcare centers (so mothers could work), tax deductions for childcare expenses, equal and unsegregated education, and equal job-training opportunities for women in poverty. These all took many years to pass.

Eventually, as more women entered the workforce employers were barred from firing a woman because she was pregnant. More women began running for political office. No-fault divorce laws arose. Women began serving in combat, became astronauts, and sat on the Supreme Court bench. Moreover, they could finally apply for a credit card or loan in their own names.

Women in financial history

Women have been making their mark on the financial sector since our country’s early days. In fact, future First Lady Abigail Adams began trading in government-issued bonds during the Revolutionary War with strong results, and a woman named Victoria Woodhull opened her own brokerage house in 1870 with her sister; she also ran her own newspaper company and was the first woman to run for U.S. President.

Some more notable firsts in modern times:

• Isabel Benham was the first woman to work on Wall Street in the 1930s at R.W. Presspich & Co. and in the 1960s, became the firm’s first female partner.
• Muriel Siebert was the first woman to purchase a seat on the New York Stock Exchange in 1967 and the first woman to be appointed Superintendent of Banking a decade later.
• In 2014, Janet Yellen became the first woman to chair the Federal Reserve.

Women and investing

The women’s liberation movement notwithstanding, it’s been an uphill climb for women to take their rightful places in the workplace and take their seats at corporate tables. As of January 1, 2020, there have been 82 individual women in Fortune 500 CEO roles in total, with three serving as CEO twice.

However, more women are undergoing a new women’s liberation movement when it comes to their investment choices . . . and discovering they can take more control of their financial futures through self-directed investing.

Self-directed IRAs enable investors to better control their retirement savings by investing in alternative assets they know and understand. Although historically, women have taken a more moderate approach to risk, those who prefer to make their own investment decisions can open a new self-directed retirement plan and include non-publicly traded, alternative assets to build a more diverse retirement portfolio. These investments might include real estate, private equity, private lending, partnerships, precious metals or impact investments.

Self-directed investors also conduct their own research and due diligence about the alternative assets they wish to include in their retirement plans. They may already be investing in these assets outside of their existing retirement accounts. In fact, that’s how our founder and CEO, Jaime Raskulinecz, started Next Generation.

Next Generation’s Women in History

Jaime was a seasoned real estate investor who wanted to include real estate in her IRA; she discovered self-direction as a retirement strategy that would allow her to do so. As a pioneer in her own right, Jaime started a company in 2004 to enable more investors to include nontraditional investments in their retirement plans and Next Generation, a third-party administrator for those plans, was born. Continuing to build on her success, in 2017 she led the formation of its sister firm, Next Generation Trust Company, which now acts as custodian for all of its accounts.

Jaime and her partner Linda Varas, Principal of Next Generation, have always believed in the power of women in the workplace and our team is a testament to that. Jaime and Linda have cultivated a career-building environment for women (and men, too!), as you’ll see on our team page.

We are proud to recognize Jaime’s many professional achievements as we continue to educate more women on the power of self-directed investing. Want to take control of your future, today? Sign up for a complimentary educational session with one of our knowledgeable representatives. Alternatively, you can email us directly at NewAccounts@NextGenerationTrust.com or call 888.857.8058 to get started.

Amid Stock Market Downturn, Consider Self-Directed IRAs

Many investors are dealing with yet another stock market downturn, which is in reaction to current events such as global concerns about the Coronavirus and U.S. politics during an election year. These and other factors—from geopolitics to macroeconomics, trade issues to plant closings to a company’s profitability and earnings—can influence a stock market downturn.

Stocks by nature are volatile, which is why many investors look to alternative assets to build their retirement savings and avoid stock market downturns that are often hard to predict. That means looking at self-directed IRAs, which allow individuals to include a variety of nontraditional investments and build a more diverse retirement portfolio based on assets they already know and understand.

Look at it this way: unless they work there, many people are not experts on what a Blue Chip or Fortune 500 company produces or sells, and they certainly cannot control what those companies do in the marketplace. However, many people know a lot about investing in real estate, precious metals, or private equity. Others like the idea of including secured or unsecured loans in their retirement plan, with terms they determine with the borrower. All of these investment types can be included in a self-directed IRA, where investors build retirement wealth with alternative assets—and have better control over their earnings.

A self-directed IRA has the same tax advantages as regular retirement plans with the added bonus of being a great hedge against stock market volatility. For those who are comfortable making their own investment decisions and conducting their due diligence, self-direction is a powerful retirement strategy.

Typical retirement plans offered by brokerage houses or banks limit investors to publicly traded stocks, bonds, certificates of deposit, and mutual or exchange-traded funds. But a self-directed IRA allows you to hold the alternative investments noted above plus notes, private placements, limited partnerships, tax lien certificates and more.

Our whitepaper library has a lot of great information about self-directed IRAs and our helpful team is here to answer your questions about self-direction. To find out more about self-direction, you may call us at 888.857.8058 or send an email to  NewAccounts@NextGenerationTrust.com. Alternatively, you can sign up for a complimentary educational session with one of our knowledgeable representatives.

CEO Jaime Raskulinecz and Five Staff Members of Next Generation Services are Now Certified as Self-Directed IRA Professionals

Next Generation Services is a third-party administrator of self-directed retirement plans ; all six have earned their SDIP designations from the Retirement Industry Trust Association (RITA)

Top Left-Right: DeAnna Cook, Emma Olson, Brittany Melville, Jaime Raskulinecz; Bottom Left-Right: Trusha Shah, Francesca Agnello

ROSELAND, NJ, February 27, 2020 /24-7PressRelease/ — Six members of Next Generation Services, a third-party administrator of self-directed retirement plans, have recently earned their Self-Directed IRA Professional (SDIP) designations from the Retirement Industry Trust Association (RITA). They are founder and CEO, Jaime Raskulinecz; DeAnna Cook, vice president of operations; Brittany Melville, director of marketing and sales; Emma Olson and Francesca Agnello, account representatives; and Trusha Shah, transaction processor.

According to the conferring organization, the RITA Certified SDIP designation signifies that an individual working in the self-directed IRA industry has attained comprehensive training in the following areas: IRA alternative investments such as promissory notes, real estate, LLCs, precious metals, and private stock; prohibited transactions, UBTI, anti-fraud measures and disclosures; and expertise in IRA documentation, reporting requirements, eligibility and contribution requirements, IRA portability and distributions.

“Our team of professionals have all demonstrated their expertise around matters of compliance and the operational knowledge regarding self-directed retirement plans and the nontraditional investments these plans allow,” said Raskulinecz. “That expertise is displayed every day through our commitment to client education about self-directed IRAs and the guidance we provide about alternative assets within these plans.”

Among the requirements to earn the SDIP designation, candidates must have a minimum of two years of dedicated IRA operational and technical expertise, attended the three-day RITA IRA Institute program, and passed the RITA IRA Fundamentals Test. Two other Next Generation employees, transaction manager Bill Wittler and assistant transaction manager Kyle Schickram, hold SDIP as well as CISP (Certified IRA Services Professional) designations.

About Next Generation
Founded on the philosophy that every person should have control over their own retirement plans, Next Generation Trust Company educates consumers and professionals about self-directed retirement plans and nontraditional investments, a strategy at one time reserved only for the very wealthy.

Self-directed retirement plans allow for a broad array of alternative assets to be included in them, with the same tax advantages as typical retirement plans offered by banks and brokerage houses. Among those assets are real estate, private equity, unsecured and secured loans, precious metals and more. As self-directed investors, account owners make all their own investment decisions and conduct their due diligence on the nontraditional investments they wish to include, in order to build a more diverse retirement portfolio.

Next Generation Trust Company, a custodian of self-directed retirement plans, is a trust company chartered in South Dakota. Its sister firm, Next Generation Services provides comprehensive account administration and transaction support with Next Generation Trust Company acting as custodian for all accounts. The neutral third-party professionals at Next Generation expertly guide clients and their trusted advisors as part of their white glove, personalized service for a seamless transaction experience from start to finish. For more information on self-directing a retirement plan, visit www.NextGenerationTrust.com. Alternatively, you can reach Next Generation directly via phone at 888.857.8058 or via e-mail at NewAccounts@NextGenerationTrust.com.

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Americans are Working Longer

Recent research from the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies* shows that Americans are working longer, with 54 percent saying they expect to work past age 65 or never retire at all. Twenty-two percent of respondents said they plan to retire either at age 65 or later, and 22 percent plan to retire earlier.

While there are personal factors around why Americans are working longer – such as maintaining social connections, longer lifespan and emotional health – financial factors are also part of this story. In the U.S., it’s often not having enough saved for retirement and Social Security concerns; three-quarters of the workers surveyed said they are worried that Social Security will not be available when they retire.

Global expectations around retirement age are very interesting to look at and compare with U.S. figures. Transamerica conducted additional research across 15 countries, in collaboration with the Aegon Center for Longevity and Retirement. While the current expected age of retirement in the U.S. is 66 (shared by the United Kingdom and Australia), it is 65 in many European countries and Canada, 60 in India, and 58 in Turkey and China. The findings are based on 14,400 workers and 1,600 retired people surveyed online between 22 January and 14 February 2019.

However, as we know, the average retirement age is rising in the U.S.; for Americans born in 1960 and later, it is 67. The Netherlands is already there and according to the study, France, Spain and Poland are planning to move their retirement age to 67 as well.

Americans are Working Longer, but a Self-Directed IRA Can Help Make the Most of Your Employment and Retirement Timelines

In the Transamerica/Aegon global study, a majority of respondents said they envision an active retirement, where work and leisure can co-exist. Sixty percent cited travel and 57 percent cited spending time with family and friends as important retirement goals; 49 percent said they look forward to pursuing new hobbies. Additionally, 27 percent aspired to do volunteer work and 26 percent planned to include some form of paid work. The two biggest retirement concerns were declining physical health and running out of money.

Whether you retire at age 65 or 66, or continue to work in some capacity well into your retirement years, you can make the most of your retirement savings through self-direction. A self-directed IRA allows you to include many alternative assets, which are not allowed in typical retirement plans, and build a more diverse retirement portfolio. This also allows investors to hedge against the volatility of the stock market, and include nontraditional investments they already know and understand. Why limit yourself to stocks and bonds when you can invest in real estate, precious metals, promissory notes, private equity and joint ventures—and have more control over your returns—within a self-directed IRA?

At Next Generation, we help individuals make the most of their retirement savings and live up to their retirement goals through self-directed retirement plans. If you’re someone who’s comfortable making your own investment decisions and conducting your full due diligence about certain types of investments, you may benefit from self-direction.

Plus, with the SECURE Act provisions that enable workers to continue contributing to a Traditional IRA for a longer timeline, and delay taking required minimum distributions from their plans until age 72, there’s more time to build up one’s retirement nest egg with a broad array of nontraditional investments.

Want to learn more? Sign up for a complimentary educational session about self-directed IRAs with one of our knowledgeable representatives. Alternatively, you can call us directly at 888.857.8058 or email NewAccounts@NextGenerationTrust.com.

*Online survey conducted between October 26 and December 11, 2018 among a nationally representative sample of 5,923 workers who were U.S. residents, age 18 or older; and full-time or part-time workers who are not self-employed and work in a for-profit company employing one or more people.

Karen Jung, CPA is Promoted to Director of Finance of Next Generation Services

Expanded Role Includes Overseeing all Financial and Benefits Activities, Planning and Reporting for Administrator of Self-Directed Retirement Plans, and Financial Oversight for Next Generation Trust Company

ROSELAND, NJ, February 21, 2020 /24-7PressRelease/ — Jaime Raskulinecz, founder and CEO of Next Generation Services in Roseland, N.J., has announced the promotion of Karen Jung, CPA, to director of finance. Jung, a resident of Verona, joined Next Generation in 2016 as controller of the company, which is a third-party administrator for self-directed retirement plans.

In her expanded role, Jung now oversees all financial planning and reporting; manages pension, benefits and insurance administration; handles payroll, cash management and tax reporting; assists with annual audits; processes human resources matters; and works closely with Raskulinecz on forecasting, financial projections and budgets. She is also involved in transaction review for clients’ self-directed investments as part of the firm’s transaction support process.

“Karen has been such a valuable asset to Next Generation during the past four years, and her experience in corporate finance has helped our company expand our client services with ease, including the formation of our trust company,” said Raskulinecz.

Jung is also responsible for overseeing all financial activities for the firm’s sister company, Next Generation Trust Company, of which she is treasurer of the board of directors; she is also on the company’s trust committee. She played an integral role in 2017 in forming the trust company, the licensed and chartered South Dakota entity that serves as custodian for all Next Generation accounts.

Prior to joining Next Generation, Jung was the director of finance for a nursing home, with full P&L accountability and responsibilities for medical insurance billing, accounts receivable and accounts payable. She was recognized for process improvements and expense management there. She also has experience as an accounting manager, treasurer, and financial and operations principal for a trust company and pension services firm.

“My work at Next Generation has broadened my professional development as well as my knowledge base within the self-directed retirement field, which have both been very satisfying,” said Jung. “I am honored by this promotion and vote of confidence in my contributions to the firm.”

About Next Generation
Founded on the philosophy that every person should have control over their own retirement plans, Next Generation Trust Company educates consumers and professionals about self-directed retirement plans and nontraditional investments, a strategy at one time reserved only for the very wealthy.

Self-directed retirement plans allow for a broad array of alternative assets to be included in them, with the same tax advantages as typical retirement plans offered by banks and brokerage houses. Among those assets are real estate, private equity, unsecured and secured loans, precious metals and more. As self-directed investors, account owners make all their own investment decisions and conduct their due diligence on the nontraditional investments they wish to include, in order to build a more diverse retirement portfolio.

Next Generation Trust Company, a custodian of self-directed retirement plans, is a trust company chartered in South Dakota. Its sister firm, Next Generation Services provides comprehensive account administration and transaction support with Next Generation Trust Company acting as custodian for all accounts. The neutral third-party professionals at Next Generation expertly guide clients and their trusted advisors as part of their white glove, personalized service for a seamless transaction experience from start to finish. For more information on self-directing a retirement plan, visit www.NextGenerationTrust.com. Alternatively, you can reach Next Generation directly via phone at 888.857.8058 or via e-mail at NewAccounts@NextGenerationTrust.com.

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Including Joint Ventures in a Self-Directed IRA

Did you know that you can use funds in a self-directed IRA to invest in a joint venture? These investments allow you, as a self-directed investor, to enter into a business arrangement with one or more individuals, and create a way for different investors to pool resources for a particular project.

Unlike partnerships, which are between individuals and are long-term arrangements between parties to operate a business, joint ventures are typically for a limited time or for a specific investment. Joint ventures (JVs) are often done in real estate but can be for other investments that the parties intend to sell at a profit within a specified time frame.

According to Investopedia, “Joint ventures, although they are a partnership in the colloquial sense of the word, can take on any legal structure. Corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies, and other business entities can all be used to form a joint venture.”

JVs can be formed for many different types of business activities. Liability is mitigated since the venture is its own entity, separate from the participants’ other business interests. When the JV is a self-directed investment, the IRA, as one of the partners, shares responsibility for the profits, losses and expenses associated with the JV. It is possible for two or more self-directed IRAs to team up on a joint venture.

How joint ventures work with self-directed IRAs

Let’s say you have a self-directed retirement plan and wish to partner with another investor to purchase a piece of real estate. The self-directed IRA makes the investment along with another party or parties as a private placement. Terms of the arrangement are worked out between all involved, including:

• How much each party is investing
• Type of project (technology, real estate, foreign venture, etc.)
• Time period of the investment/JV
• Structure of the JV
• Control, management and, if relevant, staffing
• Ownership splits
• Dissolution

Gains on the investment flow back to the self-directed IRA, tax deferred or tax exempt, depending on the type of retirement plan.

Joint ventures carry with them tax and legal considerations. At Next Generation, we recommend that as part of their due diligence, investors consult with their trusted advisors before entering into a joint venture of any kind. It’s also important to educate yourself to avoid a prohibited transaction. As a self-directed retirement plan custodian and administrator, we review all documentation for compliance with IRS guidelines to identify disqualified persons or prohibited transactions.

If you’re considering using your self-directed retirement plan to invest in a joint venture, and have questions about how to get started, contact us via email at NewAccounts@NextGenerationTrust.com or call 888-857-8058. Alternatively, you can schedule a complimentary educational session with one of our representatives to discuss self-direction as a retirement wealth-building strategy.

The SECURE Act and Self-Directed Retirement Plans

The SECURE Act, signed into law on December 20, 2019, is comprehensive legislation written to expand retirement savings, simplify existing rules, preserve retirement income, and improve plan administration. SECURE stands for Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement.

The bill mostly makes significant changes to workplace retirement plans; other provisions affect retirement plans in general, including self-directed IRAs. Here is a look at some of the changes, effective January 1, 2020.

Individuals

For those who own a self-directed Traditional or Roth IRA:

• Increase in RMD age for Traditional IRAs – The required minimum distribution age is now 72. Individuals who turn 70½ in 2020 would not be required to take a minimum distribution until April 1^st of the year in which they turn 72. This only applies to individuals who turn 72 in 2020 or later.
• Contribute to your Traditional IRA longer – Workers age 70½ and older with earned income may now continue contributing to a Traditional IRA—and continue building up retirement savings. This only applies to individuals who are turning 70½ in 2020 and later.
• Tax penalty exemption for birth or adoption of a child – For a qualified birth or adoption, the account holder can withdraw a total of $5,000 as an early distribution without the 10% penalty, when the distribution occurs within one year of the event. Income taxes still apply.
• Graduate student IRA contributions – Certain payments to graduate and postdoctoral students will be treated as earned income for IRA contribution purposes.
• No more stretch IRAs – The lifetime distribution option for certain non-spousal IRA beneficiaries is now eliminated and most non-spouse inheritors who are more than 10 years younger than the deceased IRA owner will be required to take all distributions within 10 years. Exceptions include beneficiaries who, at the time of the account owner’s death, are:
  • Disabled or have certain chronic illnesses
  • Within 10 years of the decedent’s age
  • Minors (10-year payout period begins upon reaching the age of majority)
  • Recipients of certain annuitized payments begun before enactment of the SECURE Act.

Business Owners

For business owners who have a SEP IRA, Solo 401k, or other qualified retirement plan:

• Longer deadline to establish a plan – Now employers may establish a qualified plan as late as their business tax filing deadline, including extensions, rather than the last day of the company’s business year. This extension will not apply to certain plan provisions.
• Increase in small-employer plan startup credit – Up to $5,000 per year, effective for 2020 and later taxable years, for employers with up to 100 employees over a three-year period beginning after December 31, 2019. The credit applies to SEP, SIMPLE, 401(k), and profit-sharing plans.
• Automatic enrollment credit – Employers that include an automatic enrollment feature in their new or existing small 401(k) plans or SIMPLE IRA plans will get a maximum annual tax credit of $500 for each of the first three years that the plan is maintained. (Effective for 2020 and later taxable years.)
• Participation by part-time employees – Employees who work at least 500 hours over three consecutive 12-month periods (and who satisfy the plan’s minimum age requirement) must be offered participation in the employer’s 401(k) plan.

All SECURE provisions have tax consequences for individuals and plan sponsors. As always, the team at Next Generation strongly recommends you consult your trusted advisor regarding how the SECURE Act provisions may affect your specific tax situation.

Secure a more diverse retirement portfolio through self-direction

In light of the recent changes, consider including alternative assets within a self-directed retirement plan. Those who are comfortable making their own investment decisions and who understand certain nontraditional investments can build up their retirement savings—and hedge against stock market volatility—with such assets as real estate, precious metals, private equity, hedge funds, private notes, and more.

At Next Generation, we’re here to answer your questions about self-direction as a retirement wealth-building strategy, or how certain provisions of SECURE may affect your self-directed retirement plan. You can arrange a complimentary educational session with one of our representatives, or contact us directly at 888.857.8058 or NewAccounts@NextGenerationTrust.com for more information.